The origin of MSU's Renaissance pipeline.

What did actually happen between Glenville and UM?

just trying to stand up for his players, even if hes wrong about it. Plus hes talking to a MSU reporter so you can expect the conversation to be slanted in their favor.

You are my favorite poster.

or whatever. whatever. ya know? whatever.

"Renaissance" is coincidentally an interesting word to use associated with MSU recruiting.

MSU lands a quantity of three 4-star recruits for 2009 (Norman, Baker, Caper) (for the first time probably since Darryl Rodgers was HC) and everyone in East Lansing is high-fiving and backslapping each other as if the world is being finally put to rights.

If only it were so simple.

It takes years to see the fruits (or rotted roots) of any coach's recruiting labors.

Just ask Rich Rodriguez what remained of Lloyd Carr's 2005 No. 2 ranked recruiting class and how much it helped him in 2008-2009.

One class does not a Big Ten champion make.

H.S. coaches certainly do have a measure of influence over recruits. MSU's football program is better. No question. However, I'm not yet sold on the idea that MSU is kicking Michigan's teeth in seven ways to Sunday on the recruiting trail.

I do think MSU will field one of it's finest teams in the Big Ten this fall (with new QBs an all). But in terms of knocking out Michigan, I firmly believe - and the evidence more than suggests- that Dantonio and Co. have all of there work still ahead of them to convince.

duh, it's all Rodriguez fault that Butler punched that Notre Dame player.

There are funnel schools everywhere. Glenville loves OSU, Cass Tech favors UM, Renaissance is becoming a MSU staple. That happens. What I will say, and this has been said before, is that until MSU starts recruiting nationally (and not just MI and OH), they are going to have a hard time becoming a consistent national presence. That's why I find the coach's quote about Dantonio wanting to lock down Michigan for MSU. Unless you reside in a football hotbed AND you can lock up the top talent consistently, I think MSU will field consistent 2nd-tier Big Ten teams like Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Purdue - usually decent, occassionally great, but usually traveling to central Florida or San Antonio for a bowl game.

As for this particular clip - what do you expect? Guy obviously likes MSU, MSU has made an effort, etc. But kids go where they want to go, and they usually want to play for winners. If UM turns it around this year and is at least at the level of MSU, I suspect at least some of his kids will ignore his overtures for MSU and go to UM if the offer is made. As for his views on Carson Butler - the guy obviously knows Butler and likes him, so of course he is going to overlook the mountain of evidence against Butler and blame it on RR. What people forget, of course, is that there were a number of kids who bitched and left MSU when Dantonio took over, but because the program was so bad at the time it did not receive much press.

EDIT: Final note - tried reading some articles on spartannation.com, and was shocked just how bereft of detail many of them were. When discussing certain players, there is a lot of "he plays with fire" and "he'll be as good as Laurenitis" without any, you know, information or facts to back that up.

So, he says that not only Butler, but another kid whose name I didn't get, who is a grad assistant, were "done wrong."

How does giving a kid a GA position constitute "doing him wrong?"

I hope RR figures out a way to do some damage control. You can't have a vocal, fairly successful PSL coach bad-mouthing your program.

is trying te generate a lot of static. We know:

1. If Carson Butler was a responsible young man and player he would still be in Ann Arbor.
2. We know Butler will not be with the Green Bay Packers long.
3. I wonder what Andre Criswell has to say about his former HS coach's views on him being done wrong.
4. Since perception is reality, especially in the PSL, RR should take note of what Dantonio is doing there and offer services about and beyond what Sparty is doing.
5. John L. Smith is still trying to locate Detroit on his Rand & McNally road atlas

about Butler not being with the Packers for long. He is one hell of an athlete. Packers have Finley and Lee and if Butler can get his personal stuff straightened out and they coach him on how to block, he has the talent to take that 3rd tight end spot. Besides, how much trouble can you get into in Green fucking Bay, Wisconsin. Is he gonna go out into the woods and punch a mountain goat?

Didn't Lloyd Carr also have trouble with Carson Butler? He was a very immature kid.

The grad assistant from Renaissance High School was my 9th Grade locker partner Andre Criswell. I went to that high school and went to U-M along with about 50 of my graduating classmates. As far as I'm concerned there is no recruiting pipeline from Renaissance to MSU, I knew Carson in high school, he was a dumbass who kept getting into trouble, so did his twin sister. I wasn't surprised when he left because he's not a team player.

looking in, I would have to agree with this. These schools are turning out division one athletes each year, and shuld be winning state championships with them. Now, I am an outsider, as ohio high school football is what i am familiar with, but if you've got two or three kids like this every year, you should be winning your fair share of games.

Anyone else find it funny that this anti-Ann Arbor tripe starts off with an ad proclaiming Cottage Inn the best pizza in East Lansing?

Sounds like a "what have you done for me lately" kinda coach.